Women at Risk of Diabetes Report Poorer Health, Less Exercise

Women at high risk of diabetes are more likely than are women not at high risk to describe their health as "fair" or "poor," and are less likely to exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, says a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC) and the Agency for Healthcare Research (AHRQ).

Based on data from 2003-2006, the report presents measures of health care quality as they relate to access to care, general health and well-being, and preventive care and behaviors. The data show that women at high risk of diabetes are more likely to be aware of having such risk factors as hypertension and overweight, and are less likely to smoke or consume alcohol. Findings also indicate, however, that disparities exist in access to and quality of care among women at high risk and lower risk for diabetes. For example, awareness of hypertensive status was lowest among Mexican-American women and highest among African-American women, regardless of diabetes risk status. Awareness of overweight status was lowest among minority women and decreased as education or family income decreased.

CDC and AHRQ say the report can be used to identify areas in which intervention can help women at high risk of diabetes across the lifespan, and to focus attention on possible gaps in public health programs, policies, research, and surveillance.